Published:
May 1, 1994
Originator:
Chesapeake Bay Program
EPA Number:
EPA 903-R-95-009

Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) historically contributed to the high primary and secondary productivity of Chesapeake Bay, but in the late 1960s and 1970s it experienced a dramatic baywide decline due to increased nutrient and sediment inputs from development of the surrounding watershed. This decline galvanized diverse groups into formulating the Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Policy for the Chesapeake Bay and Tidal Triutaries and the Implementation Plan for the Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Policy that would guide managers and scientists in SAV assessment, protection,education, and reserach to ensure the restoration of these plants.